The Importance of Regular Restaurant Cleaning
Besides hospitals, a restaurant is the next place that you would expect to be thoroughly clean and sanitized. After all, restaurants are responsible for food preparation, which is a high-risk industry for the spread of food-borne illnesses. As such, daily cleaning is a must for restaurants, and knowing how to clean your restaurant properly will increase the quality of your restaurant.
However, with the bustling day busy with tasks, we may forget one or two important aspects of our daily cleaning schedule, which is why having a restaurant cleaning checklist helps keep track of areas that need to be cleaned around the restaurant, and how often to clean them. In our restaurant cleaning checklist, we’ll go into detail on keeping your place spotless!
Daily Restaurant Cleaning Checklist
Most of the cleaning is done daily, as restaurants tend to get messy during food preparation and food service times. Especially with the pandemic going on, proper cleaning and sanitizing of the different areas in your restaurant is important in maintaining high standards of cleanliness.
Restaurant Kitchen Cleaning Checklist
- Store all unused food items in containers; labelled and dated properly
- Remove old coffee and filter from coffee machine
- Discard or store leftover juice from drink machine
- Remove food and charred bits from pots and pans
- Wash dining utensils, glassware, dishes, pots, and pans
- Run the garbage disposal
- Properly dispose of oil in fryer
- Clean around and under the stove, grill, griddle, and fryer
- Wipe clean rangehood
- Wipe appliances like coffee makers, toasters, microwaves, and refrigerators
- Disinfect food preparation stations with food-safe sanitizing solution
- Wash rags and aprons; let air dry
- Sweep floors, getting under preparation tables and stove
- Mop floors with food-safe sanitizing solution
- Empty the trash bin
Dining Area Cleaning Checklist
- Clear all used and unused utensils from tables
- Clear debris and leftover food from tables
- Wipe tables and chairs clean with food-safe sanitizing solution
- Wipe glass or acrylic partitions with sanitizing solution
- Clean tips of condiment bottles
- Clean outflow tips of soda fountain
- Sweep or vacuum the floor
- Mop the floor with sanitizing solution
- Replace napkins and condiments in low supply
- Empty the trash bin
Front of House Cleaning Checklist
- Wipe countertops with sanitizing solution
- Wipe chairs with sanitizing solution
- Wipe glass or acrylic partitions with sanitizing solution
- Wipe menus with sanitizing solution
- Spray sanitizing solution on bell
- Spray light switch, door handles, and other high-contact surfaces with sanitizing solution
- Wipe windows with glass cleaner
- Mop floors with disinfectant solution
- Sanitize thermogun
- Refill alcohol dispenser and spray
- Wash disinfectant mat with soap and water
- Spray light switch, door handles, and other high-contact surfaces with sanitizing solution
- Scrub toilets and urinals with bathroom cleaner
- Sanitize toilet seat and flush handle
- Wipe countertops with sanitizing solution
- Scrub wash basins
- Wipe faucets dry
- Mop restroom floor
- Refill hand soap dispensers and alcohol dispensers
- Refill toilet paper
Weekly Restaurant Cleaning Checklist
Weekly cleaning supplements daily cleaning by clearing our dust, grease, and grime from areas that you normally wouldn’t have time to clean on a daily basis.
Restaurant Kitchen Cleaning Checklist
- Discard accumulated water from the catcher basin beneath the refrigerator and deep freezer
- Clean out deep fryer
- Clean out toaster
- Clean out microwave with vinegar and water, avoiding the high voltage power box
- Thoroughly clean oven interior and exterior, including wire racks and grease traps
- Re-organize items in refrigerator using the first-in-first-out (FIFO) method
- Dispose of any rotten or expired ingredients
- Sweep and mop underneath heavy appliances like stoves and refrigerators
Dining Area Cleaning Checklist
- Refill salt and pepper shakers when needed
- Clean underneath tables and inspect for gum
- Take down glass or acrylic partition and thoroughly clean and sanitize
- Wipe down and dust light fixtures
- Dust off decor in and around high traffic areas
- Wash walls to prevent grime buildup
- Sweep and mop underneath heavy furniture
- Clean out soda machine
- Deep clean carpeted areas using dry vacuum
Front of House Cleaning Checklist
- Wash walls to prevent grime buildup
- Sweep doorstep and clear grime by scrubbing with a brush or using a power hose
- Sweep and mop floor beneath podium or reception desk
Monthly Restaurant Cleaning Checklist
For deeper cleaning, and removal of accumulated gunk, a monthly cleaning routine is essential for keeping the restaurant spotless in every nook and cranny. While monthly cleaning routines are not frequently needed as daily or weekly cleaning, they are just as important to maintain sanitation and food preparation safety in your restaurant and kitchen.
Kitchen Checklist
- Descale coffee machine with vinegar and baking soda, or food-safe coffee machine descaler
- Sanitize ice machine with food-safe disinfecting descaler
- Clean out walk-in refrigerator and dispose of expired food
- Inspect pantry for stocked items
- Discard any rotten, expired, or unusable food items
- Clean out deep freezer and thaw to remove ice buildup
- Empty grease traps from under the oven, stove, and fryer
- Wash walls and ceiling with degreasing soap and water to remove grime buildup from grease residue
- Clean range hood filter; replace if necessary
- Use drain declogger for slow draining drains
- Clean garbage disposal with a drain-safe disposal cleaner
Dining Area Checklist
- Take down curtains and wash in laundry or via laundromat
- Clean ceiling off of cobwebs
- Clean hard-to-reach areas and high fixtures
- Call professional cleaners for thorough cleaning
- Take down and clean air conditioner filter
Front of House Checklist
- Dust restaurant sign and logo
- Dust decorations like paintings, statues, and other decorative items
- Call professional cleaners for thorough cleaning
Clean Eating
As with any food preparation, restaurants are at high-risk of harboring dirt and germs that could make people sick, which is why thorough cleaning is a must for eateries. While daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning can be done by an average person, hiring professional services are always beneficial for proper and thorough deep cleaning.
We recommend having your restaurant professionally cleaned at least once a month to maintain proper cleanliness and the pristine condition of your restaurant. We at Luce offer professional cleaning services to more than just standard offices, we also offer commercial cleaning services in Singapore to restaurants and food eateries.
Give us a call or send us an email with your cleaning concerns, and we can discuss a schedule that works for you!
